Roderick A. Perez, ChicagoMember Since December 2007Artist Statement I took up the pencil at the age of nine and began my first sketch with "Beetle Bailey" & "Garfield" (and as any doodler knows they're not easy to duplicate). I haven't stopped creating ever since.

For nearly a decade I was a graphic designer for a multitude of magazines and publications. Conceptualizing & designing for others, though it provided precious experiences and growth, it did not fulfill my passion to create.You're always limited to the company's fingerprint and standards. Plus I was servicing other people's dreams. Being a commercial artist means having the motto, "Be creative on your own time". —So I took that advise and that is what I'm doing.

I quit the industry, and went on to pursue my other gift. For the last five years I've been working with children. Pushing them to think outside their own limitation. Now as I look around my make-shift "studio" I have a lifetime of work that deserve public appreciation.

So I am here ready to support my own projects.

To define my work in a nutshell, I'd have to say, it is an exploration of different styles and mediums. My creativity cannot be limited to a sketch pad, but it has always been my greatest foundation.